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Americans are stressed about work, study finds

March 30, 2011 | 8:00
am

More than three-fourths of U.S. workers are stressed out about their jobs, according to a study by Harris Interactive on behalf of Everest College.

Low pay (14%) was the most common source of stress, followed by commuting (11%), excessive workload (9%) and the fear of being fired or laid off (9%), according to the survey of nearly 1,000 adults released today.

Other sources of workplace stress were annoying coworkers, difficult bosses, poor work-life balance and the lack of opportunity for advancement, the study found.

“We’ve seen numerous surveys that confirm workplace stress has increased during the last several years, and this time we wanted to rank from top to bottom some of the root causes,” said Wendy Cullen, vice president of employer development for Everest College. “Most employers are becoming well aware of the need to address rising employee stress, and those who don’t address it are likely to suffer lower morale and productivity.”